Attempts
by Akigumi
Summary: My take on the event's after season 2's finale. Olivia's escape from the other side and Peter's discovery of Alt-Livia. ***Updates delayed indefinitely.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first fic even though I promised myself I wouldn't be writing any. It's basically my followup to season 2's awesome but depressing cliffhanger. Reviews would be much appreciated. Enjoy! :)**

**Also, I rewrote this chapter slightly, and deleted Chapters 2 and 3 temporarily for a rewrite. Suggestions would be nice since no definitive end is in place. **

**~ Olivia**

It was cold. A chill that seeped into the very core of Olivia's body. It had been hours, days, maybe even months since she'd first been thrown into this cell. This cage. This prison that brought back all the  
repressed terrors of her mind. This pitch-black darkness that rendered her blind of all senses and threw her into a never-ending repetitive train of thoughts and fears.

The window opened without warning like the many times that the window had opened before. The feeble light would always pierce through the dark; and silhouetted against the light would be the cold emotionless  
sneer of Walternate. Not her Walter, but the man from this universe whose demeanor was all but slightly different.

Olivia knew that the Secretary wanted something from her, but so far, no hints were revealed as to what his plans were. The sensory deprivation and small amount of sustenance she was allowed was the least of her worries. Her worst fear was being used as some sort of lab rat to fulfill Walternate's sinister deeds.

The Secretary remained silent all the times that he watched her from the small window opposite the corner that Olivia sat in. Whenever she had the chance, she begged, pleaded desperately to be let out, and banged her fists on the cold glass that separated her from the rest of the world. All the attempts were futile as she was left alone in the darkness again and again, the sound of her screams echoing back at her.

However, when the window opened this time, Olivia had neither the heart nor the energy to get up and start her usual routine which always rendered her hopeless and helpless. This time, Olivia sat slumped down into the corner of the small room, head hanging down as she refused to look into the cold eyes of the man that gazed down upon her like she was some dangerous zoo animal that deserved the torturous solitude. When he left, Olivia continued to sit in the dark corner as a lump rose in her throat that threatened tears. She succumbed and as one single lonely tear fought its way down, images of everything leading up to this detainment flashed through her mind's eye:

The desperation clinging at her heart when she saw the sheet of paper with the picture of that machine, with her Peter on it with the sole intention of annihilating the universe.

Nina Sharp's words briefly popped up in her mind: _"Only one world will remain..."_

One universe, hers or theirs.

She thought of James Heath, dying before her eyes as his abilities backfired upon him once they had made it over there. She thought of Nick and Sally, whose fates she didn't know. Of Bell. Of her Peter and Walter, who she believed or had to believe made it back to her universe. With the other her.

She reminisced about how the last thing she remembered was her shirt and jacket being pulled off of her roughly by a blurry figure with familiar auburn hair; her consciousness slowly ebbed away accompanied by a huge explosion that shook the ground underneath her.

She had been replaced, her alternate in her stead, in her universe. With her Walter. Rachel. Ella. Broyles. Astrid. And Peter.

Peter... Olivia's mind ran into overdrive as she thought of him. Of her confession to him which seemed so long ago. The brief moment of happiness when her heart soared without care or worry about her dreaded reality. The rare moment in which she laid all her feelings bare, like an open book to the world. She had lost John. She had lost Charlie, but she would not and could not have Peter end up with the same fate. And as she leaned up towards Peter, Olivia pressed her lips softly, but firmly against his, as she let it be known to him that she would not be letting go of him anytime soon now that she had him. One hand pressed softly on his heart and the other one carefully pressed on the nape of his neck. Except, she had lost him again. _Fate was a tricky thing._ Just as Nick had said, but if she wanted out, she would have to change fate herself.

After a long while of pondering about her options, Olivia finally mustered up the strength to get up. As she stood in the dark, listening to the uneven rhythm of her breathing, she spread out her arms to try her Walter's technique of crossing over which would hopefully yield positive results.

_"Spread out your arms. You remember how..."_

Olivia didn't remember, but she had to try so she could escape this hole. She knew that no help would be coming. Walter from her side had no more ways of crossing over and even if he did, it would be too risky. Peter could not rescue her; returning to this universe would mean his death along with the destruction of her world. If Cortexiphan was meant to do any good, then it would be now.

Olivia stood on the cold tiled floor for what seemed like ages. Her brows furrowed tightly as she concentrated all her fear, desperation, anger, and frustration into her thoughts. Nothing happened, and she opened her eyes slowly to see her surroundings. Olivia was still in her cell, still trapped. She slammed her fists against the wall, livid with annoyance at the refusal of her abilities to activate. She was special wasn't she?

_"You were always the strong one..."_

_"We knew that we had to prepare a guardian, someone to watch the_  
_gate..."_

_"You have the ability to cross over safely..."_

She wasn't strong. She couldn't stop the shapeshifter Charlie. She couldn't stop the raid on Laston-Hennings Cryonics. She couldn't stop Newton... And if she had the ability to cross over, it sure as hell wasn't surfacing any time soon. To be honest, Olivia pitied herself. The state she was in right now was completely worthless. She could usually weasel herself out of difficult situations, but now, everything was a blur and nothing felt right. At all.

Olivia was weak, physically and emotionally. Her tough FBI agent appearance had been replaced with the demeanor of a helpless child. She didn't want to admit it, but it was true. Olivia didn't know how much longer she would last in this endless abyss of black. She curled up against the back wall as she let the darkness takeover her, letting her fears consume her fragile mind as she closed her eyes hoping for a moment's peace without nightmares plaguing her dreams. Without notice and without knowing what she was doing, flames engulfed the entirety of the small room. Smoke rised to the low ceiling as sirens outside her cell went off in a symphony of high pitched wails.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the rewritten Chapter 2. Decided to write from Olivia's perspective first, then Peter's. Moved up some story ideas and changed the direction of the Peter situation with Alt-livia. Chapter 3 will be up in a few days.**

**Also, I decided to change the genre of the fic again. Couldn't decide between angst, suspense, drama, or romance (I suppose there will be some later *cough*). So anyways, I opted for angst/ romance. XD **

**Feedback would be great! :) Enjoy. **

~**Olivia**

Blurred and unfathomable images clouded Olivia's mind as she hazily woke up from a 'bout of unconsciousness. She inferred that she was in some sort of lab as she felt electrodes being placed on her temples. The piercing brightness of the new room was painful to bear and even Olivia would have preferred the dark compared to the harsh light now striking her pupils. Her thoughts strayed as she tried to come up with a rational reason for the electrodes. Was she going to be tested on as some sort of experiment?

An IV drip was placed in her left arm. Olivia tried to move her wrists but found herself unable to. Both her hands and legs were restrained to the cold metal table on which she was lying on. The door at the far corner of the room creaked open as the Secretary strolled towards Olivia with a sly smile on his face.

"Your pyrokinetic activities were impressive. Burned down a quarter of the facility and put yourself out for 94 hours. Analysis of your blood indicates that you were treated with some sort of drug, am I correct? That allows these "abilities" to manifest at times of heightened emotion. Our scientists have recreated this drug... especially for you. To activate your true potential." This Walter let out a smirk as he pulled out a vial containing a liquid that looked oddly familiar to Olivia.

Cortexiphan. Olivia remained silent out of fear as she closed her eyes, preparing to brave out what was to come.

_"Sometimes what we wake up, it can't be put back to sleep."_

Moments later, she felt a sharp pain on her left arm as the syringe pierced her skin, releasing the drug into Olivia's system as her unconscious threw her into an unknown realm.

Tall trees rustled up ahead against the cool night breeze. Stars were in the indigo sky and all around Olivia were dark shadows seemingly increasing as seconds went by. She found herself back in the forest. The exact forest she'd been in the last time she was injected with Cortexiphan but it was different. More sinister. Someone moved behind her and Olivia spun around quickly, expecting the little girl from before who had identified herself as "Olive." But she wasn't there. No one was. Uneasiness gripped Olivia's mind as she looked around frantically. It was dark. Darker than the small room she had been kept in previously. The trees were gone now, to be replaced by nothingness. The wind came to a halt as Olivia suddenly realized that her settings had changed. There seemed to be no end, no crack of light anywhere to indicate some sort of exit. Olivia started to walk forward, stumbling in the darkness while fumbling around with her arms trying to get a grip on something. The next step she took was unfortunate. There was no ground, but she wasn't falling. This Cortexiphan was indeed different. Her Walter stated that she could encounter an obstacle

Lights from an unknown source flicked on. Olivia found herself elsewhere once again. This time it was room. The walls were painted white. A white that seemed unnatural and the room was like a giant box.

Someone was walking towards her who wasn't there before. Despite the room to be seemingly brightly lit, then man approaching her was shrouded in darkness. His stature seemed familiar, but she couldn't place him. He was now three feet away from where Olivia stood frozen to the ground. The apparent veil was lifted. Now a man's face was staring straight at Olivia, a smile playing on his lips.

_Dear God, what the hell is this place? Where am I? _

Olivia's face contorted with horror. The drug she was given wasn't Cortexiphan. It couldn't have been. This didn't seem like an obstacle; it was a nightmare. Her own mind was playing tricks on itself as she looked into the man's eyes trying to determine if he was real or not.

"John..." Her voice barely came out as a whisper. Olivia shut her eyes, hoping that when she opened her eyes, he wouldn't be there.

**~Peter**

It was 2a.m Peter noted as he looked over his shoulder to see the bright red numbers flashing on the alarm clock set on his bedside counter. He was lying in his bed, in his room, in his and Walter's house which he had reluctantly returned to, despite his wishes. Forgiving Walter wouldn't be easy and it definitely wasn't going to be anytime in the near future. Forgiveness would take time, a long time and even then, his relationship with his "father" would still never be the same. Peter's mind churned on with disorganized thoughts, not allowing his tired body any sleep just yet. He blinked into the darkness, and shifted to his side, still thinking.

Walter's betrayal had hurt more than anything and paired with the fact that Olivia had also kept the secret from him, his heart had literally shattered. He didn't know his place in this world anymore; lost and without a home. When his real father found him and offered him a chance to return to his real home, he took the offer, not looking back once at the world he was leaving behind. Yet in the back of Peter's mind, something was telling him that he had left something behind.

Over there, he'd woken up greeted by his mother. The mother he thought he had lost years ago; an ache settling in his chest. Peter lost her again, without a goodbye, without seeing her one last time. But he had to leave, after finding out that the project he was working on for his real father was going to be used to sacrifice him and destroy her universe... Olivia's universe.

She had risked her life, crossing over worlds to find him. He saw the anxiety and stress lined across her face as she spoke.

_"You belong with me."_

Peter could still feel the linger of her lips on his, making the extent of her desperation known to him. Her first kiss had been short and cautious, almost fearful. He had reciprocated her initial kiss, pouring out the emotions that lay bottled up in his heart. The frustration, the sadness, and the love. They were pressed for time, but he didn't think he ever wanted to let go. Not ever again.

_Home is where the heart is._

Olivia was right, he did belong with her. Peter's home wasn't in any specifically designated universe; it was with Olivia and he found it in his heart to forgive her. It wasn't her fault but Walter's, both Walters for that matter.

Peter shifted in his bed, kicking the sheets off the bed completely, unable to find a comfortable position. Something disturbing was nagging at his mind that wouldn't go away. Ever since getting back four days ago, he had only seen Olivia once briefly where she briefly rejected any of his attempts to mention the kiss. It was almost like she had completely forgotten about it, pulling Peter into a state of sheer panic. He desperately needed reassurance. That was two days ago.

The clock now displayed a time of 3:20a.m. Peter needed sleep, and a decent amount at that. Not the three to four hours he had been getting for the past few weeks. He decided that it would be best to sort things out with Olivia tomorrow at the lab, provided that she came. If not, Peter figured that he could still manage to wait a day or two; maybe Olivia needed a few days off to think. It wouldn't be too unusual for her to want to relax and clear things off her mind for a little while considering all that had happened.

The only obstacle was to survive a morning with Walter, who'd been on edge lately. Trying to destroy the kitchen by the means of crazy food concoctions wasn't too pleasant. Anything involving spinach was now especially revolting to Peter.

Letting out one last sigh, Peter shut his eyes hoping for at least some rest. As he fell into a deep sleep, one lone thought in his mind clung on, with the sole intention of returning the next day to bother him. Olivia.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So… Chapter 3 is up. Honestly, I hated writing this chapter, and the chapter itself sucked in my opinion. A complete dud. . But I'm not rewriting anymore. Dialogue is hard to write, and for some reason, mine seems so… awkward. Maybe it's just me though. **

**I can't wait till the season 3 premiere come September… but (SPOILER ALERT) honestly, I'm kinda afraid where the writers are going. Let's just say someone posted a few pictures of the cast shooting in Vancouver on Facebook's Fringe page, and my first reaction to those pictures was: "Peter! What are you doing? You're kissing the wrong person!" And since then, I've been coming up with every reason possible to try and make myself believe that it wasn't Alt-livia in those pics and that Peter isn't really THAT stupid. I shall be prepared with tomatoes to throw at the TV that day. XD**

**Anyways, other then that, enjoy the chapter. :) Oh and I think I've gotten the rest of this fic mapped out. 9 chapters total. Feedback would be wonderful!**

**~Peter  
**  
The sunlight streamed into Olivia's office as Peter sat at her desk, drumming his fingers along the wood. Walter was out in the lab working on some experiment. Probably dosing some poor creature with LSD. Astrid had just left to get Walter some sugary snacks. Peter didn't particularly want to leave the office in case he ended up stuck in an awkward situation with Walter. Apparently acceptance with the man who had literally kidnapped him as a boy didn't mean casual conversation. Peter was tired as he'd only gotten about three hours of sleep before being rudely awoken by what sounded like an explosion in the kitchen. Going downstairs to investigate, he found the whole area covered with pancake batter. Wonderful. After spending an hour and a half cleaning it up and listening to Walter apologize for the mess, Peter went out and drove around the city mindlessly, trying to clear his mind. Four hours later and he was here, in Olivia's office, sitting around bored...

Something jabbed Peter in the arm and he awoke dazed while grumbling incoherent words. Nearly falling out of his chair, he was greeted by a frown on Olivia's face.

"Uh, 'Livia, hey... Sorry about falling asleep in your office. I didn't know you were coming." Peter let out a stifled yawn, trying to convince himself that he really wasn't that sleepy.

Olivia let out a forced smile, obviously not pleased at his appearance or presence. She seemed tense, like she didn't want to be here with him.

Peter stood up and straightened out his clothes before speaking again.

"Uh... It's good that you're here though. I haven't seen you around much after getting back and I actually wanted to talk to you about... something..."

He searched her expression, trying to find a trace of recognition about what he was referring to, but if there was any, Peter certainly didn't catch it.

"Well actually, I don't have time to chat right now. I'm busy with some paperwork at the bureau and I've gotta get home early... Rachel and... Ella are stayin' tonight. I was just droppin' by. If it's really that important... I guess you could come by my place later," Olivia retorted as she started towards the exit already.

Peter could only manage to reply with a brief "I guess I'll see you later then," before she was out the door and gone.

_What is with her lately?_

Her claim of being busy with paperwork puzzled him. There hadn't been any new cases lately, yet she was still doing paperwork? Not to also mention that Olivia wasn't doing her work in her own office here at the lab.

An unpleasant sinking feeling settled at the pit of Peter's stomach as he thought of her. Olivia was acting stranger than her usual strange and it worried him more than he wanted.

**~Olivia**

John wasn't supposed to be here. He wasn't supposed to be standing in front of her.

_John's dead._

Olivia had her closure already. His memories weren't in her mind anymore yet here he was just like before.

She opened her eyes, expecting to see her deceased partner again, but he wasn't there. Her surroundings had changed again and John was gone once again like a wisp of smoke.

Olivia was looking into a building. A building with glass windows. A building with a strange device, a bomb, anchored on the glass. She saw herself standing in front of the device concentrating as she tried deactivating it. Peter was there... Standing beside her. The red numbers on the timer ticked away. The timer read zero and there was still a light left on the switchboard that Olivia was trying to turn off in order to stop the explosion. But she had failed. And precisely  
at that moment, there was a huge explosion. Shattered shards of glass was flying through the air and before they hit Olivia, she found herself elsewhere.

Olivia was now standing in a damp alleyway covered in graffiti. She recognized it, but couldn't recall from where. She reached out with her left arm, but couldn't because there was apparently a thin sheet of glass in the alleyway. Like a window, and she was seeing through it, watching events play out like a film.

Out of nowhere, she saw Charlie. And then she saw herself through the glass. Olivia was back where she had killed the shapeshifter who was posing as Charlie.

She was confused. Why was she seeing this in her "cortexiphan" induced dream state?

The loud bang of a gunshot resonated through the air. Olivia darted her eyes at the ground, expecting to see a bullet in the shapeshifter's head but there wasn't. It was Olivia lying on the other side of the window. Limp. Lifeless eyes staring up at the sky.

_This isn't real. This isn't real. _

It wasn't and it couldn't possibly be. What she was seeing on the other side of the window didn't really happen. She wasn't dead. Charlie was. The image of her own body etched into her mind.

Horrific. Twisted. Surreal. Olivia tried to think of words to describe this... "obstacle." She thought back to the building with the bomb. It never really went off. No one had died that day, unlike what she just saw. The other Walter's cortexiphan, Olivia realized, was making her relive her worst memories. Making her relive the terror, only a thousand times worse.

Olivia looked around as she found herself suddenly in an underground parking lot. And through that veil of glass, she saw herself again. Peter was approaching her, infected with a 75,000 year-old virus. He was  
shouting, infuriated by the fact that Olivia had left him quarantined in the building. She had a gun pointed in Peter's direction and it went off. Olivia shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see what had happened on the other side on the window. She killed him. Or rather, she was seeing herself do something that she never did. Her Peter wasn't dead. He was safe, in her universe, thankfully far far away from where she was now. Olivia was prepared to see what happened next. She had to be brave. She couldn't let fear get the best of her.

Except, she wasn't prepared at all.

Everything around Olivia went blank except a small source of light from the far corner. She walked toward it but couldn't reach it. The same sheet of glass was in her way. Olivia didn't know what was going  
to happen. Her surroundings were completely unfamiliar. The light brightened and all the feeling in Olivia's body went numb as she saw what was in front of her.

The machine on the paper that the Observer had given her was right in front of her eyes. This wasn't a memory. Olivia didn't know what this was. A door opened and coming in was Peter. Peter and the Secretary. Whatever they were discussing was muted and Peter seemed unusually calm. He wasn't scared, but pure terror clung at every inch of Olivia's body. Peter was approaching the machine, a smile plastered across his face. He fastened himself on the restraints, oblivious as to what was going to happen to him. A deafening hum pierced Olivia's ears. The machine was working. The Secretary stood there expressionless, seeing the life being drained out of his own son.

Excruciating pain hit Olivia. A sneak attack of agonizing flashes and bursts of images which flickered in Olivia's mind. Her eyes fluttered open seeing nothing but black. The sound of her own screams echoing off the walls hurt her ears and out of the corner of her eye, a single flame rose up along the wall. A single flame, then smoke. And then a fire raging.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Chapter 4's up! I hated this one too unsurprisingly. . I keep thinking that my story isn't keeping the Fringe characters "in-character" enough. I could have used the recently released set pictures on Fringe's season 3 filming to help with my story, but... I decided not too. After all, I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone who decided to go spoiler-free this summer. XD Feedback would be helpful. :)  
**

**Random observation: So the other day, I re-watched the Fringe pilot and was completely amazed at how far the characters have come since then. When Olivia was first introduced, she was so happy with John (I hate him. XD) with no worry whatsoever of the Pattern or her involvement with it. Then later, she meets Peter and Walter Bishop for the first time. She finds Walter to be irritating and I could have sworn that Peter absolutely hated her at first. Little did Olivia know, John would be soon dead, and about two years later, she would be universe- hopping to save Peter, declaring that she needed him, kissing him, and then getting captured and locked in a dark cell by Walter's doppelgänger. It almost hurts my head when I compare the two episodes. XD**

**Anyways, I'll stop blabbering now. Enjoy the chapter!  
**  
~Peter

He ran his fingers through his hair, unsure of what to do when or if Olivia opened the door. Here he was, standing at her doorstep, at 7p.m. give or take, wondering if he should knock.

_No more hesitating_, Peter decided.

He knocked on Olivia's door twice, bracing for it to open. When nothing happened, he attempted to knock again but was cut off when Rachel finally answered the door.

"Hi Peter, come in." She held the door open as he walked through the entrance slowly, now completely at a loss of what to do.

"So... What brings you here?" Rachel asked with a burning curiosity that was a little too noticeable.

"Uh, I was hoping to talk to Olivia. Is she here?"

"Yeah, but she's sleeping. Apparently she had a rough day. Do you want me to go wake her and tell her you're here?"

"No, it's fine. I guess I can drop by later tomorrow." Rachel gave him an understanding nod before heading back to what she was doing before he had arrived.

_Sleeping... at seven? Rough day?_

Peter was utterly confused. He'd never expected her to be asleep at such time. He figured it was always past midnight if she could help it. Not that he monitored her sleep patterns, but it was still slightly bewildering. Yet, Peter didn't want to disturb her.

He was just about to head back out, when a small voice spoke out from behind him. A child's voice. Ella's

She came up to him and tugged at his sleeve, eyes wide.

"Peter, when is Aunt Liv coming home?"

"Ella, she is home. She's sleeping in her room."

Peter felt a wave of panic rush through his veins as Ella responded.

"No... I don't like her Peter. She's different. She isn't Aunt Liv. When is she coming home?"

Peter mustered out the first words he could possibly say in such a situation, while trying to remain calm.

"She'll be home soon Ella. Don't worry."

He took a glance in the direction of Olivia's bedroom and looked back at Ella.

_Soon..._

Peter managed a small smile before giving Olivia's niece a quick hug and then preceded to walk out and shut the door.

A horribly unpleasant sinking feeling settled at the bottom of his gut.

_"She isn't Aunt Liv."_

Did they bring back the wrong person when they returned to this side?

If Ella's claims were right, then where was his Olivia? Peter could literally feel his brain going haywire from all the possibilities about Olivia running through it.

Peter needed proof. Solid concrete evidence that the wrong Olivia had crossed over to this universe.

He decided that he would follow her the next day.

~Olivia

The fire burned. The flames licked up against the walls, the ceiling, and the ground, but somehow, miraculously, Olivia wasn't getting burned. Maybe it was just luck. Not likely though. With he new found immunity to the fire, Olivia broke out of he restraints, stumbling forward as she ripped the IV out of her arm forcefully which sent pain shooting up her arm. She pushed through the door and made it into the middle of a long dark hallway, while the flames spilled through, slowly scorching the walls.

Olivia couldn't waste any time. She had to find an exit and get out before the alarms went off. And it was just that second when sirens started wailing against her ears.

_Great._

She broke into a half limp, half run, pushing through random doors, hoping that one might lead outside. It wouldn't be soon before long that guards would be hunting her down. Olivia didn't want to be captured and sedated again. Avoiding the Secretary's twisted concoction of what seemed to be Cortexiphan would be nice too. Once through that kind of hell was enough for a lifetime.

The facility Olivia was being held in was like a maze and she was the mouse in the maze, searching for the cheese at the exit. Except in her case, the cheese was her escape and her attempt at getting back to her own world. Much better than cheese.

Olivia was quickly approaching the end of another hallway, a wider one with big doors.

_Maybe this is it._

She opened the door slightly as she felt cool air hit her face.

It was it.

The flames from before were dying out, and Olivia could faintly make out voices shouting from not far behind.

She yanked the door open, and ran outside as fast as she could despite the blinding sunlight. Up ahead was what seemed to be a forest. Olivia would head there.

Occupied with her escape, Olivia was unfortunately oblivious to the men who had suddenly turned up from behind her. It was only when she heard the sound of several guns cocking before she realized that she had been cornered. Trapped.

At least it wasn't dark again.

Olivia was scared. She didn't want to go back to her nightmares or another dark cell. She didn't want to be Walternate's experimental toy.

_Think, Olivia think. _

_"If you can dream a better world, you can make a better world."_

Cortexiphan worked on perception and perception was the key to altering reality_._

The sound a of a gun went off in her direction and the last thing she remembered was a bright blue flash and then complete silence.

Olivia woke up to be greeted by a white room. Her vision was unclear and there was a stiff soreness in her right shoulder which seemed to be covered in bandages.

The gunshot.

Olivia tried to move, but found herself unable to because of the restraints on her wrists. She must have been knocked out and taken back to the Secretary's clutches. Her failed attempt at crossing universes.

_Damn it._

Except... It didn't explain the strange blue flash.

So where was she?


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: All Peter. :D**

**I think I might actually like this chapter. At least, the very first**** few paragraphs. I feel like I've driven this story downhill after the**** second chapter. I hate dialogue. .  
**

**Other then that, I am beyond excited for next season! Ugh, the**** anticipation. I really hope Peter gets a clue before doing something**** he regrets. "cough" kissing the wrong person. "cough" Anyways,**** spoilers galore on Fringewatch on Twitter. ;)**

**Also, thank you for all the wonderful reviews so far! They motivate me**** to write more :)**

**~Peter**

Stars sprinkled across Boston's cloudy night sky like glowing fireflies suspended in mid-air. It seemed that a storm would be coming soon. Peter sat in Walter's old station wagon, his head resting against the window as he looked blankly ahead. Ella's words kept returning to his mind over and over, the moment playing out repeatedly in his head.

_"That's not Aunt Liv."_

Peter didn't want to believe it. Not for one second, but it all made sense in that case. Olivia's "strangeness" was because... she wasn't Olivia. Or at least, she wasn't _his_ Olivia. The woman who had crossed over universes to save him, to bring him home. No, in that case, _this_ Olivia was the one he had met on the other side whose hair was different. And he didn't like it better.

Still, he needed proof. Peter was at least ninety-six percent sure that Olivia in this world was the wrong one. Now, he needed something to make him a thousand percent positive.

Anger boiled deep down inside Peter because he didn't notice the switch earlier in the other universe if there was one. He was angry at himself, at Walter, but most of all, he was scared and worried sick about Olivia who was possibly still stuck on the other side. Trapped and unable to come back home.

He was staked out across Olivia's apartment, biding his time until morning when she got up and left for work so he could follow her.

An incessant buzzing noise woke Peter up from his distracted thoughts. He reached for his phone and looked at the caller ID. Sighing, he answered the phone, waiting.

"Peter? Are you there?"

"Yes Walter," he grumbled. "Did you run out of midnight snacks?"

"No... I was... was wondering when you were coming back? You are...  
aren't you Peter?"

"Yes. I am coming back. Later. I'm busy." He rolled his eyes, glad that Walter wasn't here to see. The man was at fault for Peter's distance around him; if Walter hadn't lied for years on end about his.. "abducti-" it wasn't time to think about him right now. His priority was Olivia, but he briefly turned his attention back to Walter's voice through the phone.

"Busy with Agent Dunham? How lovely! I hope your having fun."

"No. I am not with Olivia and I'm most definitely not having fun. I'm busy. I'll be back at the lab around noon tomorrow. Goodbye Walter."

Peter hung up, relieved that the conversation had ended. It was bad enough dealing with his strained relationship with Walter but an added bonus of the man questioning him about what he was or was not doing past midnight was too much. He wasn't a child.

Peter needed a breather. He opened the car window by the driver's seat and inhaled deeply. The cool air outside was relaxing. He let out a frustrated sigh, sick of being in the middle of difficult situations.

Peter pulled out a coin from his pocket and rolled it down his knuckles. He couldn't remember where or how he had learned to do that but he inferred that those memories were probably lost along with at least seven years of his childhood.

How long he had sat there in the car, Peter didn't know, but he could faintly make out a lighter shade of dark blue in the far horizon. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was about five in the morning. It was funny how time seemed to fly by. Or crawled by.

Peter glanced in the direction of Olivia's apartment. No movement. Yet. It wouldn't be long until she got up and headed out. Another hour or so would be the right time. Except, Peter was dead wrong about that.

For at least the hundredth time, he glanced at his watch. Six thirty. Seven. Eight. Nine. Peter thought Olivia was an early bird. Then again, it was likely the wrong Olivia. He began to make a mental list of differences.

Ten thirty. Movement. Peter saw Olivia get out from her apartment building and head towards her car. As she drove off, Peter started his engine and followed.

He expected her to turn off the exit which lead to the Federal Building, but she didn't. Olivia went straight and Peter was right there, always two to three cars behind her.

Her car stopped at the corner of a street full of old stores. Peter couldn't fathom why Olivia would go there, but he pulled up beside the street and watched. She was walking inside what seemed to be an old typewriter store. Staying at distance seemed to be a safe way to go about following her.

She wasn't in there for long. She opened the shop entrance and came out in about ten minutes and drove off once again, this time heading to her office at work.

Why would Olivia go all that way to an ancient looking shop and leave again shortly?

It didn't answer any of Peter's doubts exactly. It was suspicious, yes. But wasn't the evidence he was looking for. He decided to make a stop at her apartment again later in the evening, a plan forming in his mind to get to the truth. Meanwhile, he grabbed a quick cup of coffee and went straight to Walter's lab in the basement of Harvard's Kresge Building to pass the time for a couple of hours.

Those "couple" of hours had passed and Peter found himself back at square one which was at Olivia's front door. Again. He had just barely avoided Walter earlier trying to get out. Something involving LSD, gerbils,  
and cupcakes. Definitely not something Peter particularly wanted to get involved in.

He knocked on Olivia's door, hoping that maybe, just maybe that his suspicions were all wrong and that she was back to normal. Peter stood  
on her doorstep, frozen with anticipation. It was just himself and silence waiting. About two minutes passed and the door unlocked. He took in the sight of her. She still looked tired, and she was actually wearing something than her standard work suits.

"Hi... Peter. Rachel told me you came by yesterday. Sorry 'bout that. You needed to talk about something?" Olivia shifted in her spot uncomfortably, obviously nervous or eagerly hoping to get rid of him.

_Nope, still not back to normal._

Peter wasn't going to let Olivia get away so easily this time. He needed answers and he was going to get them.

"Uh yeah, I still need to talk to you. Can I come in? It might take a little longer than a couple of minutes."

Olivia gestured inside, and Peter went in, waiting for her to follow.

"Do you want something to drink?" she said suddenly, startling him from behind.

"Sure, I could use one. I'm sure you have a bottle of scotch stored somewhere in your kitchen cabinets."

Olivia frowned, something that Peter didn't brush off so easily.

"Alchohol? Actually no, I don't think have any. Is soda okay?"

"That's fine," he responded, faking a grin.

It wasn't fine.

Somewhere in Peter's list of Olivia's unique perks was her availability of some type of alchohol. He sat down he couch in her living room, and briefly remembered the time in her office at the Bureau where he had asked for something stronger for his coffee. He was half-way kidding but she did have something.

A half empty bottle of scotch, he thought, smiling to himself before being thrown back to reality when he saw Olivia approaching with sodas. Not glasses and a bottle.

She settled down beside him, while he looked down, trying to prepare himself for the truth.

It could hurt.

He started to speak and she listened.

"'Livia, I'm not sure how to say this exactly... But... When I left and took off from that hospital, everything was a blur. I had to leave. Go somewhere, anywhere, just not Boston. I was literally drowning inside out, blinded by hurt and betrayal. Walter's lies, and y- you hiding the truth from me. When the anger abated, I was... lost in this world. First chance I got, and I took off, leaving this world to go back to where I came from. I... didn't realize... I wasn't thinking about how my actions hurt you... or Walter." He glanced at Olivia, trying to see any of she had reacted to anything he just said.

"Peter... You don't need to apologize...I understand." She carefully constructed her way around her words, trying not to blow her cover.

He let out a sigh, trying to gather words in his head to make his next move.

"I know... The other side... It's different. More than slightly different. The more I learned, the more... the more I knew that it wasn't the home I wanted to belong to. But, I couldn't return here anymore. Yet, you risked your life to save me. Olivia... You gave me a reason to come back here. Th- the kiss... I don't exactly know what it means for our relationship as of right now, but... it gave me hope... so...thank you..."

Peter searched Olivia's expression, trying to find any indication of her deception. But she remained silent, seemingly trying to contemplate what he had just said, and also seemingly unaffected by anything he said.

However, luck was in Peter's favor this evening. Neither had noticed themselves inching closer, at least on his part. Their faces merely centimeters apart. If this wasn't his Olivia, he would know and he was preparing to take the chance to find out. He inhaled deeply, and leaned forward closing the gap between them without giving her a chance to react. His lips barely touched hers, but there was already an air of unfamiliarity. The kiss was already wrong. Peter looked into her eyes, finally seeing the difference he was looking for.

_Unhaunted_.

He pulled away, with a slight smile intended for himself, before glaring in her direction.

He stood up and grabbed his jacket, immediately heading towards her front door. He had the truth now. His suspicions were right and he had his thousand percent positive. He looked back in "Olivia's" direction,  
feeling more pent up anger overwhelm him.

Peter slammed the door violently behind him, now trying to figure out a way to find his Olivia. He didn't give a care about what the alternate did at this point, but she should know that her cover had been blown through and through. It wasn't too hard to guess where his Olivia was and who had her. The other side would pay. His real father would pay if anything happened to her.

He reached his car, still fuming with both hands on the back of his head, pulling at his hair in frustration. Nothing in the world could describe his chaotic sense of emotions. He was angrier than than he was when he found out about his being from the alternate world. He was more at loss of what to do than he had ever been in his life. Peter's happiness was always being taken away. His so-called family unit shattered when he left, and now he lost Olivia. But, he was going to get her back. To save her. He had to. She would do it for him. She did do it for him.

Peter couldn't do it alone though.

Time to go find Walter.


	6. Important Notice

Author's Note: I was expecting to finish up this story around chapter nine or so, but unfortunately due to the unexpected loss of a close relative, I've become too preoccupied to continue any further. The story has been delayed indefinitely for now. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed the story. (Everyone deserves a batch of free cyber cookies.) And I want to apologize for leaving the story in the middle, unfinished. :/


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